By Khanyisa Khenese
Losing a scholarship and job concurrently was a blessing in disguise for Nowakhe Yvonne Sewelo, 35, known as Minister Yveslight. The misfortune did not tear her down, but rather allowed Sewelo time to ascribe her thoughts to pieces of paper.
Sewelo is the author of 12 books, but she is set to launch three books: Masonwabe Sonke, Chessercise and Mental Vaccine on 27 November at the Amazwi South African Museum of Literature in Makhanda.
This collection is said to have been written with an African Child in mind. It consists of two educational books that cater to all age groups with an interest in learning to read music and play chess. Sewelo also wrote a motivational book that aims to heal people while exploring and describing the life and hardships people face.
“Losing an opportunity to study PhD at Rhodes University left me with plenty of time, energy and words. My first book, which is a set of poems, was birthed by the Avbob poetry competition in 2023. The book was followed by an “Autobiography of an ancestral worshiper child”.
“In 2024 I had a goal of writing 10 books. Each book aims to heal the wounded, mending broken spirits, inspiring young minds, introducing a way of teaching chess through movement and teaching music literacy using IsiXhosa syllables,” she said.
Sewelo was born and raised in a village called Emagqagqeni in Mount Frere, Eastern Cape. After completing her matric at Arefadiheng Secondary School in North West, she pursued a degree in music at North West University. In 2011, she was awarded a scholarship to go and study in Europe at the University of Jyvaskyla.
After she completed her studies, she returned back home and ventured into teaching and worked as an educator at Boitirelo Primary School and Dan Tloome Primary School, both based in Potchefstroom, North West, and PEPPS Polokwane Preparatory School in Limpopo.
Receiving and being awarded another scholarship granted Sewelo an opportunity to relocate from Limpopo to Makhanda.
“An academic fund called (nGAP) granted me an opportunity to do my PhD degree and serve as a lecturer at Rhodes University, but the opportunity was cut short due to a vaccine mandate,” she said.
Sewelo said after losing her job and funding, she was faced with a decision to go back home, but the love she developed for Makhanda did not allow her to go back home.
“Today I have become a citizen in this land with a dream to influence the future of Makhanda,” said Sewelo.
